Outcasts
by SilverDawn2010
Summary: Blaze is an unwilling princess, and Silver is an unlikely new recruit. Can the two help each other out?
1. Intro

**What can I say? I'm in a Silvaze mood. This is just a random idea that attacked me a while ago, and I couldn't stop my mind from continuing it. Sort of set in the Sonic Rush Adventure kingdom. Ages - Blaze is around 14, Silver is around 13, give or take. As for the genre, it will be a romance/friendship/adventure.  
**

**Enjoy :)  
**

................

"Your majesty, your daughters are here."

Lance nodded, and watched his three daughters walk into the large throne room. One lavender, one turquoise, one coral. Three graceful, stunning princesses that made this king proud.

The royal midnight blue cat surveyed his daughters. There was Coral, of course, with her beautiful namesake fur. The king's only regret concerning her would be that she hadn't been born first and would not become the next queen. Crystal, though a little immature, would grow up to be a delight at future balls. And then there was Blaze.

It wasn't that Lance didn't love his eldest daughter, it was just that she could be...difficult. Blaze seemed to have no interest in learning the etiquette and grace of being a princess. She was always distracted, distant, quiet, unwilling to engage in polite conversation. Very unprincesslike indeed. And then there were her flames. It wasn't unusual for commoners to be born with powers, but in the royal family it was almost unheard of. Especially among girls.

"Blaze practically_ is_ a son to you," one of his most trusted advisers remarked to him once, and the king knew he was right. But Blaze was still a daughter, and his eldest at that. She would become the next queen.

Yes, Lance had 3 daughters, and yet no sons. No son to be the next king. No son to be the next guardian of the Sol Emeralds.

If only that were the worst of his problems right then.

"Ah, looking beautiful as always," the king remarked. Though it was true, saying this was really more of an obligation. Seeing his daughters looking so lovely _was_ a nice distraction from thinking about the looming threat of neighboring kingdoms, however. "Carry on, my darlings."

As soon as the three sisters left the throne room and headed through the garden, Blaze pulled her unruly hair into a ponytail. She really didn't care if it was dignified or not; Blaze just hated to have her hair in her face.

"Oh, let's go look at the new recruits," Crystal suddenly said and giggled. "I've heard some of them are really _cute_."

Blaze rolled her eyes. "You're being silly. The recruits are commoners. Our partners will be picked_ for_ us. Among the nobles."

"You're never any _fun_, Blaze," Crystal whined. "Who says we can't_ look_ at them?"

"You need to stop being so stuffy," Coral agreed. "I'm surprised you haven't _burned_ that dress as well. Let's go, Crystal, before Lola finds us again!"

Blaze sighed and followed after her silly younger sisters, ignoring their giggling. She would go along with them, not to see the boys, but to see the action. Blaze would watch the recruits almost longingly, almost feeling like she should be with them. After all, if she hadn't happened to be born a princess, Blaze _would_ be among them.

Yes, it was all because of her cursed flames that Blaze didn't belong here. As if she couldn't feel the stares and hear the whispers as she walked the corridors of the castle. Blaze knew she wasn't the typical princess. She was never what anyone wanted: a daughter when they'd prayed for a son, yet they were upset when she acted more like a son. When their kingdom was getting more and more desperate for soldiers, she had been one of the ones born with powers. As a princess, she could not be called upon to fight.

The flames had made her different, and she just felt out of place in the castle. Like she was born for a different purpose than just being a figurehead queen. Somewhere deep in her soul, Blaze longed for more than that, and hoped her life would be more than just sitting around in pretty dresses and having kittens.

Blaze had often entertained thoughts of running away, but she knew nothing of life outside the castle. Besides, Father would send an army of guards after her. No, it appeared her destiny, her future would take place within the four walls of this castle, where Blaze would always feel like an outcast.

....................

"They're all just _boys_," Gardon, a captain of the palace guard, muttered to himself as he surveyed the new recruits. It was true; none of them could be a day over 14. And it was _his_ job to make them all into soldiers. How in the world had he gotten stuck with this duty?

Well, at least it was better than having to be the one going from door to door, recruiting and telling sad-eyed parents it was for the good of the kingdom. This was how desperate things were getting; they were resorting to pulling preteens out of their own homes. Males, females, it didn't matter. Just anyone blessed with powers.

The koala was about to command them to get in line, but decided to watch them spar with each other first. Just to see how they'd handle it.

"So are you a hedgehog...or a_ parrot_?" Frost, a cocky baby blue squirrel with the power of ice, taunted a silver hedgehog.

"A_ hedgehog_," Silver said defensively and levitated himself up a little, his ears drooping.

"Hmph. Hedgehogs can't fly. So you _must_ be a parrot," Frost said and laughed at his own wit, the others following in on him.

Silver had to bite his lip to keep the tears from spilling out of his eyes, knowing he'd never hear the end of it if he cried. Besides, he had to grow up and be a man now. But why was it he was called a man and expected to act like one, yet was treated like he was still a boy?

His thoughts were interrupted by giggling and Silver looked up to see 3 young, pretty cats standing a little ways away in a nearby garden. Upon seeing they'd been spotted by the boys, the coral and turquoise cats turned away and covered their mouths in an attempt to muffle their giggles. The lavender one, however, remained unmoved. And she was looking right at_ him!_

Silver blinked and couldn't stop himself from blushing as he drank in her beautiful face. Her light figure was clothed in a stunning pale pink dress that matched the hue of her fur perfectly. Who was she, anyway?

He continued staring when Silver suddenly felt an icy coldness on his legs. Silver looked down, and to his horror saw that his legs had been frozen solid by Frost. Silver immediately focused on the block and tried to get himself out, but his concentration was broken by more snickering by his fellow recruits and the cats.

Suddenly, the ice was melting. Silver looked up and saw the lavender cat was suddenly standing right in front of him, flames spurting from her hands and melting the ice. Silver gaped at her, taking in her lovely eyes. They were golden, just like his, but hers were like looking into a gold mine.

"PRINCESS BLAZE!"

She broke their gaze by veiling her golden eyes. Great, her nurse was here.

"How many times have I told you to stop those flames?" a plump chipmunk yelled as she ran to grab Blaze by the arm. "You are a princess, young lady, and it's not dignified - now, look your dress is torn. Oh, wait until _Her Majesty_ sees - why are you getting involved with the recruits - oh and your _hair_!" she continued to fuss and tugged Blaze away.

Silver watched the chipmunk yank the cat around the corner, followed by the two other giggling cats. Blaze turned to stare at Silver again before she completely left his sight.

_Blaze._

"Wowza, is that girl_ hot_ or _what_?" Frost cracked. "I mean, ow, steam-_y_!"

"She almost fought you, Frost," a tiger reminded him.

"I'd gladly_ wrestle_ with that chick. I'd _show_ her a thing or two," he quipped, and the rest of the recruits were in stitches.

Silver didn't join in their lewd comments and cat calls, however, as he was still in total awe. A princess...who controlled fire?

"BOYS! In line this instant!" Gardon bellowed, and the recruits snapped to attention. The captain marched over to Frost and Silver and roughly grabbed their arms. "_You_ and _you_, come with me!" he barked and pulled both of them to the side while his lieutenant dealt with the others.

"Might I remind both of you that you are _soldiers_ now? You have both been blessed by Sol with your powers and from now on will_ only_ use them for the good of the kingdom-"

_Blaze. _

She was _so_ pretty_. Such smooth fur, gorgeous eyes...why did she have to leave so soon? And why did she help me? And why did Sol bless a princess with powers?  
_

"Did you_ hear_ me, private?"

Silver snapped back to reality. "Yes, sir," he lied and tried not to flinch as Gardon slammed his fist into Silver's face. He could tell Frost was holding back a snicker.

"Get your mind off the girl, private," Gardon hissed at him. "She's _way_ out of your league. Now, get back to work. And I'd_ better _not have any more trouble with either of you." The captain then released the two troublemakers.

"Next time you won't be so lucky to be saved by a _girl_, parrot," Frost jeered as they joined back up with the recruits.

Even though Silver was completely exhausted by the end of the day from training, sleep would not come. It wasn't because the barracks were uncomfortable, or his roommates snored. It was because Silver found he could not block the images of the beautiful and mysterious cat from his mind's eye.

_Blaze_.

...........

**I know this is kind of short, but it's really just an introduction. Hope you enjoyed and don't be too shy to tell me what you think. **


	2. Insomnia

**Thank you all for your reviews. :) I realize I should clear a few things up. **

**I don't own Silver and Blaze, obviously (if I did, they would NOT have split up in Sonic 06!) Gardon is from Sonic Rush Adventure, and I realize that I did make him a little OOC, but hey, he's a guard and has to make a bunch of preteens and young teens soldiers. I don't think he'd put up with crap.**

**These are the characters I do own: Coral and Crystal (Blaze's sisters), Lance and Jade (king and queen), Frost (the icy squirrel jerk), and Lola (the chipmunk nurse). Usually I don't use OC's but I really needed to make some for this story, since this is set in another dimension and I couldn't use Sonic and Co. They won't be the main focus of the story, though.  
**

...

Chapter 2: Insomnia

"You are staying in your room, young lady!" Lola said as she slammed the door behind Blaze. "And don't even think about leaving! Just wait until your father hears of this!"

As if they could keep her in here. Blaze knew that with her flames were going to come in handy one day. That is, if she ever got the chance to practice using them. If she'd ever get out of this...prison. And out of these restricting dresses. But alas, Blaze couldn't change just yet, as dinner was coming soon. There was one meal that Blaze never looked forward to, with all of it fanciness, dull conversation, using the right fork, and manners, it was dinner.

Yes, another dinner, another lecture. Blaze made her way down the hall to the dining room, not at all surprised at the looks she received from her parents upon arrival. She would never, ever be what they wanted, so why did she even bother to try? She wasn't her seemingly perfect sister Coral nor the giggly, foolish Crystal. She was Blaze.

Luckily, Blaze received only a lecture about how she was a princess and it wasn't dignified to use her flames, especially among the new recruits. Blaze didn't care, she was just glad there was no punishment. Yet her mind had wandered during the whole talk, and oddly settled on the silver hedgehog. She didn't have it clear in her own mind why she did what she had. But there was something about that hedgehog that had caught her eye, something that had made her want to interfere. Something, she wasn't sure what, but her mind kept drifting back to his image, and those lovely golden eyes.

The cat was very glad once dinner was finally over and she was able to retire to her room.

Blaze let out a sigh and drifted over to her window, taking in the quietness of the castle going to sleep below her. She really hated being cooped up in her room like this, with nothing to do. Her eyes scanned the darkening night sky, searching for the first star. Her view was obstructed by one of the towers, though; curse the builders for not taking that into account. Realizing that tonight, sleep would not come easy for the day had been too eventful, Blaze kneeled in front of her bed and pulled out her secret chest from under it, removing her special outfit. The cat then slipped off her frilly dress and donned a pair of white pants and a long dark purple shirt, relishing how much more comfortable it was. This outfit was actually what the female recruits wore.

Now dressed more actively, Blaze slipped out of her window and jumped into a nearby oak tree, thanking Sol for her cat-like agility. This was something she'd done plenty of times. Blaze scanned the street for any sign of guards. It appeared the coast was clear, then. She hopped out of the tree and made a beeline for her stairs, quickly scaled them, and headed for the familiar cavity in between breaks in the turrets in the wall.

Blaze settled down on the cool stone. Here, she would not be found, as it was evenly spaced between guard outposts, and they each assumed the other would patrol this spot. Blaze knew this. She'd often come out here just to think, to relax, to get away from the fussing and the whispers and the stares. Here, she could be alone. And be herself.

She surveyed the sleeping kingdom outside the 4 walls she had never left, wondering what that sort of freedom would be like. To be able to walk around and just do as you pleased. Freedom from her flames, from her dresses, from her obligations. It must be nice. Oh, what Blaze wouldn't give to just try it once. Just once, run as fast as she could, letting her flames propel her.

But no, she'd already used her flames today.

Her mind once again drifted back to the silver hedgehog. Why had she done that? She didn't know, it was like her body had just moved on its own. He'd just looked so helpless and so...so..._what? _

What_ had_ been that feeling that had suddenly made her heart leap? Blaze had no idea, but she suddenly found his image imprinted on her mind, even though she'd just met him, just seen him for a minute. But that second, when they'd locked eyes...it had felt much more like an hour.

The princess continued to stare at the stars, and couldn't help but form a constellation of a hedgehog...

...

It was completely hopeless. Silver had given up all hope of getting any sleep tonight. The snoring, the springs poking him through the thin sheets, and...the cat. She was so pretty.

Silver slipped out from under the covers and levitated out of the bed, not wanting to walk and make noise by touching the ground. He floated out the door, hoping to catch a quick breather. Maybe if he went out in the fresh air it might help. Anything would be better than just hanging around in the barracks while he had insomnia.

Silver propelled himself into the night, flying around the towers of the castle. This would be his "home" for the next few months as he trained for war. Of course, they never let him in on any details, but Silver figured there had to be a reason they were gathering so many recruits. He kept flying around when he suddenly saw a lone figure on a turret. Floating closer, Silver almost fainted when he saw who it was.

_ HER._

Silver desperately tried to get control back over his mind, knowing that fainting at this altitude would be fatal. What was she doing out here? And how had he happened to stumble on her like this?

_Here's your big chance, buddy._

Silver propelled himself towards the cat, nervously and clumsily landing next to her, hoping beyond hope she wouldn't take off. Blaze turned to look at him, her eyes widening in recognition. It was that hedgehog! She'd just been thinking of him, and he'd appeared! Blaze did a once over of his body and then turned back to the moon, wanting to run yet frozen to the spot.

"Uh, hi," he said. "My name's Silver."

Blaze didn't turn; she gave no sign that she'd heard him, but continued to stare at the sky. For some reason, her heart was racing and her breathing had quickened too much for her to think of answering.

_Well, at least she hadn't run off. Yet, _Silver thought.

"The hedgehog," he added, realizing he'd forgotten his species name. It really should be obvious, but you never know.

"And uh...I wanted to thank you. For saving me back there. I mean, you didn't have-"

Silver froze, as Blaze had turned to look at him. Oh jeez, he was babbling. To the princess of all people. _Impress her, Silver!_

"And uh, it's a nice night, isn't it?" he finished lamely and turned back to the moon, blushing like mad.

Blaze, however, continued to look at him. Who was this guy? And why was she so oddly...entranced by him? His fur seemed to glow even more in the moonlight, although it looked like it was shiny anyway. And despite the fact that she'd had to save him, he looked strong. He was a soldier, after all, and spent all day working on his strength. Blaze's eyes traced his profile, arms, and quills, her heart pounding faster. And any desire she had to run just vanished.

"Why did you come out here?" she asked him softly.

The sound of her voice made his heart skip, and he chanced a peek at her. "I-I couldn't sleep," he stuttered, and had to look away from those beautiful eyes, but only for a split second.

"Me neither," she admitted.

Now what could he say? I couldn't sleep because I was thinking of you? That would be awkward, not to mention a little creepy. "I really should be able to sleep, though. With all the training we're doing now."

Blaze's ears perked up at this. Warfare and action had always been something she was oddly drawn to, because of her flames.

"What do you do in training?"

Silver blinked. She wanted to know that? Out of all the things...Here he had the princess, and she wanted to know about _fighting_? It certainly was odd, but Silver would gladly oblige her with anything she wanted to know.

"Well, since we all have powers, right now we're just learning how to control them and use them the right way. But also just doing things to get us into shape."

He paused, and Blaze wondered how much better shape he could get in, but blushed at her own thoughts.

"You know, like running laps," Silver continued. "I'm not very fast..." he blushed, "but when I use my psychokinesis I can go faster, but they say we shouldn't rely on our powers too much and we have to develop our other skills."

Psychokinesis? Blaze's eyes were drawn to his gloves, and the blue circles decorating them. Of course, he must have some powers, otherwise he wouldn't be a recruit. That must be how he'd managed to fly up here, anyway.

"You are lucky," she decided.

Silver could not be sure if he'd heard her right, as her voice was soft and her words just too unbelievable.

"Lucky?" he echoed. "Me?"

"I was born with powers, too," Blaze said. "But I am not allowed to use them. And -" she paused, her own words surprising her. What was she doing, baring her most intimate thoughts with this boy she'd just met? What had he done to her walls? Blaze turned away from him, now shy and unsure. Silver wasn't about to push her, and turned his focus away from Blaze.

Usually Blaze came out here to be _alone_, to think...but why rehash all the disappointment and longing like she did every night? Sitting alone at this spot, though, her only refuge...would not accomplish anything. Why not talk with this boy? Why not? There was that odd feeling, after all, still tugging at her heart. It was hard to describe...but it was almost like Blaze wanted to hear him talk. Maybe it was because he had this...innocence about him. Simplicity. There was nothing complicated here. Whatever it was...it was_ refreshing. _A nice break from the fussing.

And maybe, just maybe...he could help her. But now, with the sun threatening to peek over the horizon at any minute, she had to get back. _  
_

"Silver."

Blaze pronounced his name for the very first time, and found she liked how it fit in her mouth. "If you ever have trouble sleeping again...I'll be here," she said softly and slipped away into the night.

Silver watched her leave, still not sure if that had really happened. Had he really just had a talk with the princess? And she'd invited him back? Oh man, how he managed to be so lucky?

Well, these things Silver wasn't sure of, but this he did know: there was no way he was getting any more sleep tonight. In fact, he foresaw a sudden bout of insomnia plaguing him for the next _several_ nights.

...


	3. At First Fight

**Once again, thank you for your reviews. :) And, as ****Momoko T. Kitsunee pointed out, I sort of made an error, so I went back and changed what Blaze was wearing (her outfit from the games). And for those of you wondering about my inspiration: Mulan. Seriously (as well as all those other tomboy princess stories).  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

...

Chapter 3: At First Fight

Silver let out a light groan as sunlight danced on his eyelids, turning his vision completely red. Great, it was morning now and he had to get up. He opened his eyes to half mast, wincing as more light pierced them. Groaning again, Silver forced himself out of the bed he couldn't have occupied for more than an hour.

_Maybe I really should have tried harder to get some more sleep_, Silver thought as he stretched. Now he was going to have to go through a whole day of rigorous training on little rest. Ah well, it was certainly worth it to get to see and talk with Blaze, though. He still couldn't believe that he'd actually talked with her last night. And she'd called him lucky? Imagine that. He had to have been lucky for someone like a beautiful princess to talk to him.

It was almost like a dream, but no, if he'd been dreaming, that meant he'd actually gotten some sleep last night. And by how tired he was at this point, Silver was sure he'd actually talked with her.

After a quick shower and breakfast, Silver joined his fellow recruits on the practice field. They had all reported ahead of him; Silver was actually running slightly late.

"Ah, sleeping in I see," Frost jeered at him. "Did you dream about that pussy cat?"

_I did more than just dream about her,_ he thought, but let it go unspoken, knowing that a comment like that would arouse suspicion. Oh goodness, if they were ever _caught_...

"I know I _did,_" Frost continued and went on to make more lewd comments.

Why did this squirrel always pick on him? What did he ever do?

Either way, it didn't matter. Silver would just ignore him and concentrate on the training. This was his life now, after all. Besides, he now had the princess to impress.

_Silver, who are you fooling? You know you have no chance with her. _

Ah, but a guy could dream, couldn't he? Besides, he did have sort of a _date_ with her on the castle wall that very night.

But until then, the training certainly wasn't a dream. And his expedition last night was really catching up with him, especially after only 5 laps around the field. As his legs were burning and his breathing became labored, Silver was reminded of that day about a week ago, when the guards had knocked on their door and informed his parents that he'd been drafted because of his powers. He remembered his mother's tears, and how his father had whispered, "_Make us proud, son_," as he clutched his only son to his chest. Silver had promised them that he would.

Right now, though, he certainly didn't feel like he was. Being one of the youngest guys out here and naturally socially awkward, Silver was an easy target. And the running...the running was awful. Foot speed was not something that Silver was blessed with; he much preferred letting his psychokinesis propel him. The sparring he was much better at, though. In fact, Silver found he had a natural skill with fighting. After all, he did have a natural advantage over his opponent, as he could control them as well as use their own attacks against them.

So maybe he had nothing going for him other than his fighting skills. Fine, he could live with that. He would just focus on becoming a better soldier.

Little did Silver know that he was being watched from a distance by a solitary cat who was skipping out on her etiquette class. Not surprisingly, Blaze was much more interested in watching the new recruits spar with each other than learning which fork to use. She also found that she just couldn't take her eyes off of Silver. He seemed to be one of the best fighters, by far. Blaze even saw Gardon approach Silver afterward to have a few words with him.

"PRINCESS BLAZE!"

She snapped to attention as the familiar nurse came into view. "Where have you been, young lady?" Lola huffed. "Not only were you late to your etiquette class, but there is someone that your parents would like you to meet."

Blaze suppressed a sigh. Another potential suitor, perhaps? She hoped not, as all the males that she'd been forced to converse with had been dull and boring. Blaze knew her parents were still desperately searching for their next king. So she would just nod and bear with it, and wait for later that night, when she could sneak out her window and see Silver again.

...

Maybe Silver was even more tired that night, but there was no way he was going to miss out on a chance to see Blaze. Even if he was dead tired, the excitement and anticipation of seeing her again was making it impossible to sleep. Once again, Silver waited for everyone to fall asleep and then snuck out of his bed and flew into the night, searching for the turret. His heart soared and he grinned involuntarily when he saw Blaze sitting alone. She was even prettier in the flesh than in his memory.

"Hi Blaze," he said with a smile as he landed next to her. Blaze looked at him and nodded slightly.

Silver rubbed his hands together a little nervously as he studied her profile and tried to come up with something to say. But he couldn't for the life of him come up with anything. After all, he desperately wanted to impress the girl. Luckily, she spoke first.

"What is it like out there?"

Silver blinked, unsure of what she meant. "Out where?"

Blaze lifted her delicate hand to point to the kingdom outside the castle. "There. The kingdom. I've never left the castle before."

"Really?" Silver asked incredulously.

Blaze nodded and worked up the nerve to look at him, and didn't regret it. "What is it like?"

Shifting uncomfortably, Silver frowned a little. "Well, I don't know what you mean. I've lived out there all my life. I suppose it's okay." he paused, realizing how much of an idiot he must have sounded. "I mean, my parents weren't rich or anything, but we lived okay. King Lance - your father - he's a good king."

"Do you miss them?"

"Oh, my parents? Uh, yeah, a little. But I've decided I need to grow up, and I can't really miss them anymore. Now that I've left home, that is."

Blaze cast him a sideways glance. Yes, he was definitely lucky. "I wish _I _could leave home," she said softly, and it wasn't until Silver whipped his head to face her that she realized she'd said it aloud.

"Why would you want to leave the castle?" he asked incredulously. "You have _the life_ here, you know that? You have servants, a life of fun and leisure, good food, little work, relaxation. Not that I'm complaining," he added quickly.

Blaze was still a little too embarrassed to answer him. It was true that she wanted to leave, yes, but she'd never told anyone that before. Why had she let her walls come down again? Why did Silver have some strange power, attraction over her?

"It's...not as good as it sounds," Blaze explained. "I would much rather be in your shoes."

What? "You...you'd rather be a _soldier_?" Silver chuckled a little, but immediately ceased at her hurt reaction. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh, but...it's not all fun and games in training, trust me. It's a lot of work."

"Work I'd gladly do instead of just sitting around in pretty dresses and listening to dull conversation," Blaze spat bitterly, surprising both of them.

"Why don't you just run away?" Silver suggested.

Blaze frowned. "Are you really that naive? It's not that simple, Silver."

He bit his lip. "I could help you," Silver offered.

She glanced at him, still a little amazed. "Why would you help me? If they catch you, you'll be executed."

Silver blinked. She was right. If a princess ever went missing, there would be an all out search party.

"Thank you, though," Blaze continued. "I just...wish that I could-"

An idea hit Silver just then, and he stood upright. "I could teach you how to fight," he offered. "It could come in handy one day."

Blaze blinked and studied his face, marveling that he was actually serious about the offer. He would teach her how to fight? It was almost like a dream come true, but... "How will we get out? The gate is heavily guarded."

Silver smirked. "Leave that to_ me_," he said and awkwardly but gently reached for her hand, letting his fingers wrap completely around it.

Blaze's eyes widened at his touch and his smile. What was he doing? The next thing she knew, Blaze noticed the turret was getting further and further away...oh no, he was levitating them into the sky!

"Silver!" she cried out, frightened, and gripped his hand tighter.

"What's wrong?" the hedgehog asked.

"I...nothing," she lied, and tried to stop looking down. Goodness, she didn't realize how _high up_ they actually _were._

Silver cocked his head a little, but the truth didn't dawn on him. "Well, hold on, ok?"

Oh yes, she would hold on for dear life as Silver flew both of them off the turret, above the walls, and into the sky. For the first time in her life, Blaze was actually outside of the castle. Instead of focusing on the ground (which was _very far_ below them), Blaze turned her attention to Silver, and found herself again entranced by the gleam of his fur, his unruly quills, and now the strength of his hand holding hers. He certainly didn't hurt her eyes any. In fact, he was almost...good-looking.

_No, Blaze, not **almost**_, she told herself, and once again was blushing at her own thoughts. However, there was nowhere else to look besides down, so Blaze kept her eyes focused on Silver. Blaze lightly squeezed his hand, and it didn't go unnoticed by the hedgehog.

Silver had his mind on a field that was a little ways beyond the castle. The recruits had come here already twice before to train, so Silver knew it well, yet since it was outside walls, it was likely to be deserted. It was on this night. Perfect. The hedgehog settled himself and Blaze down.

Blaze was thankful to finally be back on solid ground again. She surveyed the training field and then realized that she was still holding Silver's hand. She didn't want to pull away, though, and the fact that he didn't seem eager to break the contact either flustered her a little.

Silver was positively thrilled that Blaze seemed to be liking holding his hand. He looked over at her and smiled, and was pleasantly surprised that she returned the favor, although her smile was softer than his. Blaze looked so delicate right then; it was hard to believe she'd make a good fighter. Then again, she was blessed with powers, and wasn't wearing a frilly dress anymore. Either way, she still looked stunning in her white pants and purple shirt.

He felt Blaze squeeze his hand, and Silver took the hint and reluctantly released it, though the warmth lingered on his hand.

"So," Silver said and flexed his hand a little. "You have power over fire, right?"

A small flame was produced in Blaze's palm, showing Silver he was right.

"Alright. That's more of an offensive power, whereas mine is more defensive. So what experience do you have with using your flames?"

"None," Blaze admitted.

Silver shrugged. "That's okay, we all start somewhere. So...I guess the first step would be just focusing your thoughts on your flames, letting them loose just so you can get used to them. After all, it takes just as much mental work as physical work," he said, repeating the familiar refrain.

Blaze nodded, and focused her thoughts on her flames, and for one of the first times in her life, let them loose. The floodgates that she'd kept for so long just burst open, and Blaze felt the power that had lied dormant burst from the depths of her soul and overflow in the form of fire. Flames licked up and down her body, yet she felt no pain, only more powerful than she ever had before.

Silver watched in awe, and his heart warmed when Blaze opened her eyes to look at him through a wall of fire.

"Alright, good. Now..." Silver said and lifted his hands. "I want you to throw the biggest fireball you can right at me."

Blaze's eyes got huge.

"Just do it," Silver encouraged.

Blaze bit her lip. She really didn't want to hurt him, but then realized there was little chance that she actually could, since he was a good fighter already.

"C'mon, you have to practice," he said. "You're not going to hurt me."

"Okay," Blaze said, and concentrated on creating fireball until it was about the size of Silver's fist. Blaze then put every ounce of strength she had into hurling it right at the hedgehog, but he stopped it cold about a few feet in front of him. The fireball sizzled into coals now that Blaze wasn't fueling it and dropped to the ground.

Blaze looked down, slightly discouraged.

"Hey, it's okay," Silver encouraged. "Try again."

So the cat and the hedgehog continued to practice sparring throughout the night. Silver could tell Blaze was getting the hang of it, and that she'd be a good fighter one day. He knew that this would make him a better fighter as well. Blaze seemed to be impressed by his fighting skills, too, and Silver was glad he could actually impress her and do something he was good at.

"Thank you, Silver," Blaze said once Silver had returned both of them to the turret. Once again, she found she really did not want to let go of his hand.

"Uh, you're welcome. You'll get better with more practice."_ With me. _

Blaze nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow night," she said and reluctantly slipped her hand out of his and returned to her bedroom, wondering about that mystery feeling tugging in her heart and smiling for the first time in a long time.


	4. Can't Be Broken

**Ah, your reviews are so kind. Thanks to all of you, you guys inspire me to keep writing. :)**

...

Chapter 4: Can't Be Broken

Blaze narrowed her eyes in concentration. Blocks of wood were flying right towards her in quick succession, and break in focus could mean a black eye that she'd have to explain away. Flames spurted from her hands, burning the wood to a crisp before they could strike her. After the last block was coming at her, Blaze hurled it back at Silver instead of burning it completely. The hedgehog gasped in surprise, but managed to halt it an inch from his face before flinging it away and letting the lingering flames consume it.

He glanced back at Blaze, a little impressed. She'd only been at this a week, yet was nearly as good as some of his fellow recruits.

"Wow, I didn't expect you to do that," he said, then realized he was panting slightly.

Blaze smiled at him, and Silver noticed she was panting as well. "You've taught me well, Silver," Blaze said and lessened the distance between them. "I can never thank you enough."

"It's no problem. It's making me a better fighter as well."

"You're the best one we have."

Silver blushed. "Not really. I just - "

"You _are_, Silver," Blaze assured him.

The hedgehog was glowing at her praise of him. No one (besides Gardon, and only once) had ever given him confidence the way Blaze did.

"Thanks," he managed to say and looked away. "But shouldn't we be getting back now?"

"Let's relax a minute," Blaze suggested and sat down on the grass.

Silver nodded and followed suit. After all, he was exhausted, but he wouldn't miss these sessions for the world. Besides, being with Blaze made him feel like he could do anything. She gave him a weird source of energy. He leaned backwards so he was now lying down, and soon realized his mistake. The grass was so soft and it'd be really easy to fall asleep right there. Silver softened his quills, letting them become a sort of pillow. Yep, he was in the danger zone now...

"Silver?"

The sound of her voice made Silver's eyes snap open, and Blaze instantly regretted saying anything. Not only had he looked so cute relaxing with his eyes closed, but now she had to say something else. And just the thought of what she'd been planning to say made her heart clench.

"What is it?" he asked softly, studying her amber eyes, admiring how they glowed in the moonlight.

Not eager to share her feelings, Blaze blushed and looked away, but as she did that, noted light on the horizon. Oh no.

"The sun's coming up!"

Silver gasped and pulled himself to his feet. They had to get back, now! He grabbed Blaze's hand and shot them into the sky, heading back for the castle. The first rays of the morning light illuminated them, but both were too panicky to enjoy seeing each other in the full light for once.

"Just drop me off, Silver," Blaze said and squeezed his hand.

"There's no time," he insisted and zoomed right past their turret. "Where's your room?"

Blaze bit her lip. Where _was_ it? She chance peeking down, but her stomach dropped to her feet. Oh goodness, if Silver hadn't been holding her hand so firmly, she might have let go and gone plummeting down, down, down...

Silver snuck another glance at the rapidly rising sun, wishing light didn't travel so fast. Soon they'd be a very conspicuous pair, hovering around towers. They were just sitting ducks for watchful guards.

"Blaze, where is it?" he pressed.

The cat gripped Silver's hand and trusted that he wouldn't let her fall. She scanned the towers, but she couldn't tell which one contained her chambers, as she wasn't used to seeing the castle from a bird's eye view.

"I'm not sure. Just drop me off somewhere. You need to get back, too."

"Ah, don't worry about_ me_. Heads will roll if_ you're _gone. I'm just a soldier."

The bitterness in his voice was masked, but unmistakable. It tore at Blaze's heart a little, but she didn't have time to dwell on it now.

"It's that one," Blaze said and pointed to one of the windows. She had traced the path from the turret to the stairs and finally to the oak tree underneath her window.

The hedgehog nodded and swooped down to hover outside of her window before guiding Blaze inside. She lingered at the edge, still clasping Silver's hand and gently stroking his knuckles with her thumb.

"Thank you, Silver," she said and tried to work up the nerve to lean forward and kiss him.

Silver smiled at her, and was resisting his urges. It took an awful lot of willpower to just let go of her hand and zoom away, as he'd wanted nothing more than to gently take hold of her beautiful face and kiss her.

But alas, he knew his place. She was a princess. And he was a soldier.

Although if he would have turned around before flying back, he would have seen Blaze extending her hand toward him and whispering, "_Silver..._"

...xxx...

Maybe the adrenaline wore off as Silver slipped back into the barracks, but he was being fueled by a much stronger feeling. Ok, so there was no chance of them being together, but this hedgehog still had his dreams. Maybe one day, they could run away together, to one of the distant islands, where there would be no one to keep them apart. There, they could finally be together.

He continued fantasizing as he made his way to the mess hall for breakfast.

"Silver the Hedgehog."

He immediately snapped to attention, as the voice had been Gardon's.

"Yes sir."

The koala eyed him. "I see you decided to go flying this morning."

_Oh crap_. "Yes sir, I've found it...helps me wake up, and gets...my mind...ready for the day," he said lamely.

Gardon raised an eyebrow. "I see. Well if that helps you, then maybe we should make all the privates do it."

Silver couldn't stop the confusion from flashing across his face.

"It's really a shame the others don't have your..._skills_."

Now, Silver hadn't the slightest clue how to respond to that. Had Gardon been praising him again?

"Carry on, private," the koala said. "But I have a special task for you, so come and see me when you're finished eating. Dismissed."

"Yes sir."

Silver entered the mess hall in a daze. Things really seemed to be looking up right now, with Blaze and Captain Gardon -

The next thing he knew, two strong arms shoved him to the ground. Silver was up in an instant, staring at his assailant. Frost. The baby blue squirrel glared at him, his bushy tail flicking back and forth and scattering ice crystals.

"So ya think yer a big shot now, huh?" Frost taunted him. "Just because Gardon's in love with you doesn't mean anything. You're still a spineless coward, and a _parrot_."

Silver narrowed his eyes and levitated Frost up faster than he'd moved anything before. The squirrel's head was now only a foot or so from the ceiling. All activity in the hall immediately ceased as the others waited to see what Silver was going to do.

"My name is _Silver_. And I'm a_ hedgehog_," he said firmly.

He was about to slam the squirrel to the ground, but saw unbridled fear flash across Frost's face, and something stopped him. Silver had Frost paralyzed and felt powerful...yet he didn't want to stoop to that level.

The hedgehog lowered the squirrel to the ground before he ran out of the mess hall, hearing the whole crowd gasp and whisper, "Oh snap," and "Silver coulda killed him." He was breathing rapidly when he got outside, not from physical exhaustion, but from the rush of what just happened.

Suddenly he was on the ground again and a chill ran up his spine. He realized with a start what had happened; Frost had chased after him and tackled him from behind and was now trying to encase his body in ice. Silver mustered all his strength and threw the squirrel of his back and sent a psychic wave to shatter the ice crystals. He then jumped to his feet in time to reverse the blocks of ice Frost was hurling at him and send them scattering. This distracted Frost and allowed Silver to paralyze him.

"You coward. Running away and now you won't even fight me," Frost jeered, despite being frozen and totally at Silver's mercy.

"Silver!"

He whipped his head around, for he knew that voice all too well. But what was she doing out here?

"Blaze?"

"Oh look, now your flaming hot girlfriend is here to save you, Silver. Too bad she's just a fantasy for you."

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"

Both Silver and Frost froze at Gardon's voice. The captain marched over to face the two troublemakers.

"Silver started it!" Frost insisted.

"Don't try and fool me!" Gardon hissed. "I saw you tackle him from behind. And how dare you say such things about the princess." He turned to Blaze. "Your highness, you really shouldn't be here. If you would have gotten hurt, it would be on my head."

"Yes, Captain," she said and turned to leave, but in the confusion of Gardon continuing to chastise Frost, she passed by Silver and whispered, "He's just jealous; you did the right thing."

When Silver turned to look after her, though, Blaze had already ran away.

...xxx...

Blaze couldn't help it, she'd just had to see Silver again. That was why she had snuck out so soon after getting back to her room. She had hoped to spend the morning watching the recruits, like she had on and off for the past week. All she could hope for was that no one had seen her doing this, as well as seen her whisper to Silver. Now she felt almost foolish for going to see him and calling out his name; it might arouse suspicion.

Blaze didn't know why the fact that they could never be together upset her so much, but the fact almost brought tears to her eyes.

She continued running down the hallway, her thoughts of longing distracting her so much that she didn't even notice she'd bumped into something until she stopped. Blaze looked up into the jade green face of her mother.

"Blaze? In a hurry, are we, dear?"

She blushed and tried to calm down her breathing. "No mother-"

"She must have been spacing out again and not realizing it," Coral said and rolled her eyes.

"Well, no matter," Jade continued. "Blaze, we have some important news for you."

Blaze surveyed the assembly, and her eyes came to rest on Mercury, the cat she had been forced to converse with way too much recently. He was looking at her curiously, his baby blue eyes contrasting with his orange fur.

"Blaze, I am pleased to inform you that you and Mercury are now betrothed. He will be your husband, and our next king."

Everything stopped. Absolutely everything.

"But mother-"

"But nothing, Blaze. It has already been decided. Betrothals cannot be broken."

Blaze closed her eyes, trying to block out all thoughts and sights of this man...her husband. The man she would spend the rest of her life with. Mercury would make a good king, no doubt. He had all the qualities - intelligence, eloquence, benevolence, justice, compassion...He was perfect for the job, born for it, indeed. But Blaze couldn't see herself with such a buttoned up man who would never understand her, never let her be free or be herself.

Like Silver did.

"I will never love you," Blaze hissed at him, seeing no love in his eyes, only a will to possess the throne. She fled from the room, but not before she heard her mother soothing him, "She'll come around, don't worry."

The guards tried to catch her, but her training (with _Silver_) paid off and she was able to dodge them. Blaze collapsed on her bed and started sobbing her eyes out. She didn't know why this upset her so much; it wasn't like she hadn't seen this coming. It had been drilled in her head enough times that she would be married soon. Before she had just accepted her fate...but Silver had given her hope, allowed her to dream.

_Silver..._

_Foolish girl. You should have know nothing could happen between you. Should have known not to give a commoner your heart._

Her heart, yes, that muscle that felt like someone had just stabbed it with a knife.

_Silver..._

Oh why did that very name, that very thought tear at her heart so? Blaze lifted her head up and wiped at her tears again. Eventually, it would be dark, and she'd have to go and break the news to Silver that she was betrothed.

And betrothals couldn't be broken.


	5. Just Not Fair

**Sorry guys. I'm glad you liked that Frost got his, though**.** I updated early, so be happy! (And I just realized this story is sort of like Aladdin, too. So this is what you get when you mix Mulan, Aladdin, Silver and Blaze, Sonic Rush Adventure, and my crazy imagination.)  
**

...

Chapter 5: Just Not Fair

...

Night.

It was the time Silver had come to crave, to look forward to. He could get away from the fighting and everything and meet with Blaze. And this night, he was even more giddy, for he had some amazingly good new to share with her.

However, the cat had picked tonight of all nights to be late. Where was she? Usually Blaze got here before he did, as he had farther to travel and a longer wait time. Maybe she had decided to actually sleep tonight; Silver wouldn't blame her, as neither of them had really slept for a week.

Silver let out an impatient sigh and studied the moon. It had been a little over a week ago when he'd met Blaze on this very spot. At the time, the moon had been just a sliver and incomplete, yet growing larger and becoming whole, finally culminating in a full moon just last night. Now, it would start shrinking again. Although the moon didn't really change size, Silver knew, it just became more or less covered.

He took another glance over his shoulder, but to his dismay he heard no sound of light footsteps approaching. How much longer should he wait out here? Maybe he should go check on her...nah, that wouldn't be right. For all he knew, Blaze had guards patrolling outside her door. No, for now it'd be just him and the moon. Though if Blaze didn't show up soon, he might drift off to sleep up here.

A smile washed back over his muzzle, though, when Blaze's face popped into his head. How anyone could manage to be so pretty, Silver didn't know. He was quite sure it was physically impossible to be prettier than Blaze. Silver laughed a little to himself, and let his mind wander to fantasies of him and Blaze being together, outside the castle, in their own little kingdom...

Footsteps! Silver turned and his heart skipped at seeing Blaze approach. As he drank in every detail of her beautiful face, he did notice that she now had a red jewel on her forehead. It was strange, but it made her look even more lovely. Looks like it wasn't physically impossible after all.

"You're here!" he exclaimed. "I thought you weren't going to come tonight."

Silver had to frown a little at seeing her expression, though. What in the world could be wrong? She must have just had a bad day. Hmph. Silver didn't really understand how anyone in the royal family could have a bad day; after all, they had the life. Blaze never really told him much about castle life; she didn't say much, period. She was just a mysterious girl, and it captivated him.

"Blaze, I have some great news." Maybe this would cheer her up.

She managed to give him a weak smile, but his childlike giddiness tore at her heart. She would miss him terribly. Once she was sharing her bed with Mercury, she wouldn't be able to sneak out and see him anymore.

"I've been promoted to be a castle guard now, Blaze! That means I'm no longer going to have to be stuck with Frost and them, and I don't have to go off to war! I can stay at the castle and still see you!" The last phrase slipped out in his giddiness, but Silver was too happy to even blush. "Isn't this wonderful, Blaze?"

She couldn't think of anything worse. Maybe she was happy for him, but now that he would become a permanent member of the castle, she'd still see him on occasion, and the memories and longings would still tug at her heart...

"Hey, what's wrong?" The smile disappeared from his muzzle as he took her hands.

The cat bit her lip and fought her tears. "I'm getting married."

His jaw dropped. "_What? Married?_ But Blaze, you can't be_ married._ That's-"

Blaze dipped her head to hide her tears, but couldn't stop one from escaping her eye and landing squarely on Silver's gloved hand.

The hedgehog was absolutely bewildered. This wasn't supposed to happen. No, no, no, he practically had their whole future planned out. Blaze wasn't supposed to be married, she belonged with_ him_, dang it! They were_ made_ for each other.

"That's...just not fair," he choked, and it was then that he realized he was crying, too.

It was like a punch in the gut, but much more painful. No, if someone had torn out Silver's heart, ripped it into pieces, and stomped on them, it couldn't feel worse than it did now.

He looked away, but still couldn't escape the reality that Blaze was going to be married. And not to him. Silver looked back to her, and her beauty made his heart ache. The red jewel on her forehead (the symbol of her betrothal, he realized) gleamed at him mockingly.

"Silver." Blaze squeezed his hands. He was so naive, thinking that they could be together one day. "There's nothing we can do."

He inhaled sharply, for the idea had struck him just then, now more than ever. "There is."

She glanced at him quizzically, but Silver finished his thoughts unprompted. "We can run away. Together."

Her first thought was _It's not feasible_, but her second one was, _It's the only way_. Her realism and sensibleness were squeezing all hope out of her, but Blaze also knew that there was no way she could stay in the castle as a figurehead queen with a man she did not love. And this young man in front of her was giving her a way out.

She'd take it.

"Alright. But there's a few things were going to need if going to leave," Blaze said sensibly.

Silver cocked his head, as he'd been ready to lock and load and just take off, but he knew she was right. They'd have to eat at some point.

"Take me back to my room so I can grab a few things."

Silver obliged, and Blaze smiled slightly. He was still so naive, thinking they could just run off. But she liked that about him - it was refreshing from the snobbery she found around the castle._ But you won't find it anymore, Blaze,_ she told herself as she clutched Silver's hand. Yes, now she would just be with him...but she trusted him fully, and there was no uneasiness there.

Silver guided her towards the window he'd memorized involuntarily. He'd actually been glancing up there all day, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

"Go ahead and come in, Silver," Blaze offered.

He slipped inside the window after her, but his eyes widened at just how large the room was. It had to be just as big as the room that had housed 10 of the recruits. His eyes took in how perfect it all was, and so expensive looking...

Blaze let go of his hand and knelt by her bed before removing a small knapsack and stuffing it full of food and money as well as a sea chart. She then looked back at Silver, and saw that he was looking around her room in awe. That's when it hit her that she was actually leaving all this stuff behind. This would be her last day in this room, among all her furnishings.

_But it's all just...stuff. _

Her eyes stopped glancing over her room and rested back on Silver. Indeed, this stuff was her past, and he was her future. He was more important to her than all these trinkets that had never satisfied her. Maybe she was being a little foolish, but she'd fallen for him, and running away would be much better than her alternative of staying here.

Silver noticed Blaze was now looking at him. "Are you ready?"

Blaze nodded and went to take his hand, but something in her eyes made Silver freeze and not take off just yet.

"Silver," she purred.

His heart skipped and he swallowed. "What is it?"

They were already holding hands, but Blaze adjusted her fingers so they intertwined with his for the very first time. Blaze looked deep into his now wide golden eyes and summoned every ounce of courage she had.

Silver watched her face get closer and closer and he inhaled sharply, not sure if this was a dream or not. Time seemed to skid to a halt, or at the very least was moving at snails' pace. Silver, so skilled at moving other things, found himself absolutely frozen to the spot. Blaze's face kept getting closer, closer...goodness, could it get any _closer_?

Their lips finally met, and Silver could feel Blaze trembling slightly. Or maybe that was him. No matter. He used his free hand to caress the fur on the side of her face as their lips continued to dance together. Blaze lifted her other hand to run her fingers through his furry chest. She knew they had to leave, but his lips were so soft and she didn't want to pull away from him...

The door slammed open, and they immediately broke apart. Guards streamed into her room like a river.

"Princess Blaze!"

She gasped. How had they managed to get caught? Silver grabbed her hand and tried to force her out the window with him, not realizing how bad that made him look.

"Stop him!"

"We need backup! Get the king! Blaze is being kidnapped!" the guards yelled.

Silver was halfway out of the window and about to zoom off, but Blaze was suddenly forced from his grasp. A guard had tackled her and had her in a headlock.

"Blaze!"

"Silver, run!" she pleaded, her golden eyes wide with fear. "Hurry!"

But he couldn't leave her! Silver focused all of his energy on the guards, trying to peel them off Blaze, but another guard came out of nowhere and hit him broadside, and he collapsed to the floor of her room. No, he wasn't going to lose this! He summoned all his strength to send his elbow up into the guard's stomach, but the guard merely groaned and kept holding him. _Use your psychokinesis_! Ah, but his head was pounding like mad, but Blaze was in trouble -

"Silver, I never would have thought you would do this..." he barely heard Gardon say to him.

"What is going on here?" A very frazzled king asked as he paraded into his daughter's room.

"Your majesty, we have caught this young man trying to rape and kidnap your daughter."

"_NO!_" Blaze yelled, louder than she'd ever had in her entire life. "HE DIDN'T!" she screamed before being muffled.

King Lance shook his head and eyed Silver. "You have dishonored my daughter."

"Father we never!" Blaze protested.

"Silence!" he spat and then turned to Silver. "And for this, you will pay with your life."

Silver didn't dare move. There was now a sword less than an inch from his jugular vein, and his arms were being gripped tightly by 2 strong guards. He locked eyes with Blaze and hoped he didn't look as scared as she did just then.

"Your majesty, it'd be a shame to kill my best man," Gardon informed him. "Why don't you let me punish him?"

"Indeed, it will be a shame. But he must die. He has raped my daughter. It is the law."

"Father no!" Blaze pleaded again. "He didn't!"

"SILENCE! He will die at dawn. And I want no more argument out of you, young lady. You are betrothed to another man, remember."

At this Blaze let loose her flames, bathing the guards in them. They all cried out in pain, and Silver used the opportunity to try and focus on bringing them down as well, but he was suddenly struck again, and doubled over in intense pain.

Only two things crossed Silver's conscious mind before everything blackened. A fuzzy picture of Blaze being struck and collapsing, and King Lance yelling, "That was my_ daughter_!"

...

**Okay, please, please _don't kill me_! If you do, I won't be able to finish the story, and THIS will be your ending.  
**

**Just repeat after me, silverdawn2010 cannot write sad endings, silverdawn2010 cannot write sad endings...  
**


	6. Unlikely Hero

**(A chapter a day keeps the doctor away? No, I didn't just make a HORRIBLE joke...) :P  
**

**...  
**

Chapter 6: Unlikely Hero

...

"Captain...I think we have a problem."

The koala sighed and wearily regarded the raccoon holding the hedgehog. Why did everyone have to be so incompetent? Why couldn't they be just like Silver had been, so eager to learn, so serious...

Gardon would have never guessed Silver would do such a horrible thing. It just didn't make sense with his character. Silver had one of the purest hearts he'd ever seen (the hedgehog had been reluctant to harm _Frost_) yet he still took his duty as a soldier very seriously. A guy like him didn't come around very often.

In fact, Gardon didn't really believe for a minute that Silver had done that, but he hadn't been the first one to storm in the room. If anything, it looked like they'd been trying to leave, and Blaze looked willing. So he didn't buy the rape story, especially coming from this particular guard. He'd even tried to save Silver back there, but the king's word was law. And so he followed it.

"What is it?" he asked wearily.

"Well see, this guy here...he has psychokinesis."

"I'm fully aware of that," Gardon said evenly.

"So...how do you lock up someone who can move objects just by thinking about them?"

Ah...so maybe this one wasn't completely useless. He did have a point. Yet, even though they'd never had to lock up someone with psychokinesis before (as it was one of the most rare powers), they'd dealt with imprisoning people with powers before.

"Take him to the Sol Dungeon."

The guard's resulting blank expression made Gardon sigh again. "Here, leave it to me," he said and took the hedgehog off his hands.

"Thank you, sir," the guard said and left.

Gardon made his way outside the castle, heaving under the heavy load of the hedgehog. Yes, the Sol Dungeon, unfortunately, would be the only way to lock up someone like Silver. All powers came from Sol, the All Powerful One, and the Sol Emeralds were the manifestation of his power. They could be used to drain the powers from a being temporarily, or make them stronger.

It really was a shame that the Sol Emeralds were only being used for this purpose, as they could be used for much better things. But at the moment, there was no guardian for them, and there were criminals that needed to be punished. Besides, wielding them was no easy task, and only someone chosen to be the guardian could use them with any success. So for now, the precious family jewels lied dormant, just serving to hold back super powered criminals.

No, the more he thought about it, the more Gardon was sure Silver was not guilty. But what could he do? Part of him wanted to just set the hedgehog free, but he knew he couldn't do that. He could only do his duty, and that was that. He lied Silver down in the cell and clasped shackles on his wrists and ankles. The Captain took one more look at the hedgehog before shaking his head and leaving. This dungeon required no guards, as the Sol Emeralds would be guards enough.

...xxx...

_This is all my fault. _

Those were the only words floating through Blaze's foggy mind. It was truly all her fault, she had brought them back, failed to use her flames successfully to save either of them, and pulled Silver into a kiss which had prevented them from leaving. Yes, if she hadn't of done that, they'd be far away from the castle by now. But as it was, Silver was in the dungeon, waiting to die, and she was...where was she, anyway?

Blaze blinked, trying to make sense of her surroundings. So she was in a bed, okay. What were all those machines around her? A chill ran up her spine, and Blaze realized that she'd been redressed in a simple light blue gown. She clutched the sheets around her and suddenly heard voices.

"What do you mean she has no injuries?" a deep voice that sounded much like her father's asked.

"I mean exactly that, your highness," a lighter voice of the doctor replied. "She has none. Her virginity is still in tact, and there are no cuts or bruises indicating a struggle or any attacks."

Silence.

"So she is still pure?"

"As the day she was born, your highness. We-"

"Spare me the details," he quickly dismissed. "Are you sure he was raping her?"

"It looked like it, your majesty," a nervous voice of the guard responded.

"Tell me what you saw."

Blaze quietly slipped out of her bed. She didn't have time to sit here and listen to them debate whether Silver had raped her, she knew he hadn't. How they'd managed to come to_ that_ conclusion, she had no idea. She was about to join them and give her side of the story, but paused after placing her hand on the door. That would just be a waste of time; they'd eventually figure out the truth. In the meantime...she'd have to get Silver out of prison.

Why, Sol help her, she'd burn down the whole kingdom to save Silver. They weren't going to kill him, not if she had anything to say about it.

...xxx...

A dull, dull ache was the only thing greeting Silver upon awakening. Well, that and the decaying/moldy smell of the dungeon. He opened his eyes a crack, but saw nothing except oddly glowing lights coming from the corner of this Sol-forsaken place.

The Sol Emeralds. Ah yes, everyone and their brother knew of these legendary gems. It was said that they had the ability to warp time and space, if you knew how to manipulate them. It was all Silver knew, all anyone really knew. He was a little glad to be able to finally rest his eyes on them before he...died.

Death. It hadn't been something Silver had thought of all that often, as he was young and thought it'd be something he'd think about when his quills started getting brittle. Certainly not_ now_, not_ yet_. He was still only a teenager, and had a great future ahead of him, right?

But no. Life was never fair. Blaze would be married to someone she didn't love, and Silver would die for a crime he'd never committed. Tonight would be his last night. Ever. And he would spend it rotting in this prison.

The hedgehog sat up with a start. What was he doing moping around here? Did they really think they could keep him in a cage? Why, all he had to do was bend the bars and he was out of here.

Silver raised his hands and focused on his chains, waiting for the familiar psychic wave to come forth..but none did. What? Had they taken away his powers somehow? Was this why he was with the Sol Emeralds?

Panicking, Silver stared desperately at his hands. Without his powers, he was nothing. Just a normal hedgehog. He'd come to rely on them for so long...he couldn't imagine living without them now.

_It doesn't matter, Silver. You won't be living much longer, anyway._

As he placed his head in his hands, though, Silver he still felt his powers_. _They were a part of him that could never be taken away, but right now they were just unusable. Now, if he could just get out of this cell somehow...

_Blaze will come for me_. Ah, now there was a faint light. But who knew what they were doing to the girl right now. She was probably under heavy lock and key, just like he was-

A shattering of glass brought Silver from his thoughts, and his head snapped immediately to the Sol Emeralds. The 7 glowing jewels were no longer on their pedestals, but scattered on the ground. The whole ground shook, and Silver fell backwards, but lifted himself up in time to see 7 claws come and scoop up the Emeralds before retracting. Evil laughter was the next thing to hit his ears.

"Oh, Lance, you are making this too easy...Not even appointing a guardian to give me any sort of workout."

Silver forced himself to his feet and watched the Sol Emeralds disappear from his view. This couldn't be good. Whoever it was that had stolen them, they didn't seem to have pure intentions. The hedgehog levitated himself up as a matter of habit, but it wasn't until he had snapped his chains and left the dungeon that he realized his powers were back.

...xxx...

"Your majesty, if I may."

King Lance turned to the Captain of the Palace Guard. This koala had proven himself numerous times, and he would trust him with his life. He seemed to have nothing but praise for Silver before this, and Lance was more inclined to believe him than almost anyone else. Besides, nothing else about this was making much sense. "Go on, Gardon."

"Thank you, your majesty. I would like to vouch for Silver's character. I may have only know him for a short period of time, but I can assure you that this would be the most out of character thing he has ever done. He is by far my best man among the recruits, and it wasn't for a shallow reason that I promoted him to be a palace guard earlier today. If I thought he could be trusted to guard this very castle, your highness, I certainly wouldn't believe he would stoop to such a horrible, horrible act. Maybe I have misjudged his character, and it is true that lust can ensnare anyone...but I do not believe for a minute that he raped your daughter."

The king nodded. Now nothing seemed to add up here. Maybe he'd been too hasty by putting a death sentence on the hedgehog's head, but in the heat of the moment, with the horror of the thought of his daughter being violated...he'd acted. It was his job as king to act, anyway. But there was still something bothering him. If Silver hadn't raped her...what were the two doing in her bedroom?

"Your highness," his adviser butted in. "Why don't you get your daughter's word on the matter?"

It seemed a good plan, as she had been very adamant that Silver hadn't. "Very well, bring her out."

The doctor nodded and headed for her room, but gasped upon opening the door. Blaze was gone. He was about to turn around and inform him of this, but the King was receiving another message.

"What? The Sol Emeralds are_ gone?_ Alert everyone!"

...xxx...

"Silver!"

The hedgehog turned and stopped. "Blaze!" The cat was down on the ground, dressed very simply, a shield of fire around her. For some reason he had a feeling that she had fought her way out of whatever they'd done to her.

Blaze was very much shocked to see Silver not in prison. Had he managed to escape somehow?

"There isn't time," he told her as he swooped down. "The Sol Emeralds have been stolen."

Blaze gasped. "Are you sure?"

"I saw it happen," Silver insisted.

"Silver, do you know what those Emeralds are capable of?" she asked, her golden eyes gleaming.

"I know enough that we have to get them back," Silver said.

_Blaze was bewildered. "Us?" _

"Yes, we can't just let him get away!"

Blaze studied his eyes. She'd never seen him look so passionate, so serious before. Blaze had fully expected that when they'd reunited, the two of them would hightail it out of there, never to be seen again. Why, this would even make a great distraction. But now, this hedgehog looked determined to get them back. Maybe he was naive to think that they could defeat whoever it was...but wasn't this what Blaze had been wanting all along? A chance to do something for once? A ripple of excitement ran down her back.

"Are you going to help me or not?" he asked her.

She nodded and took his hand, letting their fingers intertwine. "Let's go."

...xxx...

_I have finally won, Lance. Looks like putting together a pathetic army of young ones with powers didn't matter after all. _It didn't make sense to Doctor Egggman Nega, as he knew Lance knew the Sol Emeralds would be very safe in the hands of a guardian. Why Lance had never appointed a new one was lost on him.

But oh well. Now that he had the Sol Emeralds, he would be utterly_ unstoppable. _

His ship suddenly jerked to a halt.

"What?" The doctor quickly checked his surveillance monitors. They were picking up some serious psychic energy that had frozen his ship in mid air. He turned to get a visual, trying to find the culprit...what was this now? Some flying rodent?

"I don't think you know how you are playing with, dear boy," Nega announced to the hedgehog over the loudspeaker. "Why don't you take your games somewhere else?"

"I don't think so! I'm not letting you leave with the Sol Emeralds!"

Ha, did this little bug think he could stop him? "As you wish, my spiky friend," Nega said and let loose 4 missiles toward the hedgehog and the castle.

Silver wasted no time in shifting his focus to the missiles, grabbing the first one and spinning it around his body, using the momentum to launch it back and blow up the next missile. Looking up, he saw the next pair of missiles careening towards him. Rising up to avoid them Silver watched as they mirrored his movements.

"Heat-seekers," Silver breathed upon the realization.

Silver grabbed both missiles and whipped them down at the bridge of the ship. They exploded with a deafening impact but Silver's victory was short-lived. Now, with smoke rising steadily from the airship, another wall of missiles were streaking towards him.

"No holding back now," Silver realized and focused once again on the projectiles. He concentrated on the far right missile and sent it crashing into the one next to it, trying to create a domino effect. Unfortunately for him the other missiles were not even targeting Silver. Instead they were headed straight for the castle walls and more importantly the King's throne room.

"Crap," Silver thought. Now what was he supposed to do? The missiles were careening towards the castle and another set was heading straight forward him. Trying to think fast, he used the first wave of missiles and froze them in mid-air while the other missiles were headed towards him. The hedgehog then zoomed out of the way, so the missiles that were flying toward him ran directly into the missiles that he froze in mid-air and thus killing two birds with one stone. He froze one missile before hurling it back at the ship, causing another explosion.

Silver steeled himself for the next wave, but once the smoke cleared, there seemed to be a pause in the action as the doctor blinked in surprise. So, he was in for a fight then. Two could play at this game.

And there, in the night sky, above the castle for everyone to see, Silver the Hedgehog showed the whole kingdom exactly what he could do. As he battled the huge ship of Dr. Eggman Nega, though, he was holding back a little, as there was someone very precious to him inside that very ship.

In their short notice, Blaze had come up with the plan of Silver distracting the doctor from the outside while Blaze infiltrated to get the Sol Emeralds from the inside. Of course, they had no real way of communicating, so all Silver could do was keep fighting and wait for Blaze to give him some sort of sign.

...xxx...

If I was the Sol Emeralds, where would I be? Blaze wondered as she snuck through the corridors of the airship. Honestly, the whole thing was a little exciting. Blaze had never done anything this...daring before. Usually she would be sipping tea or meeting men who would be her soon to be suitor. Oddly enough, it was almost like she could sense the presence of the Emeralds. She could feel their power, and her intuition guided her towards their hiding place.

A sudden explosion jarred the ship and knocked the cat off her feet, but her cat-like agility allowed her to quickly regain her balance. _Silver, you better not blow this whole ship up_. She knew he wouldn't though, as he was just creating a distraction for her. A distraction she'd have to utilize.

Amazingly, Nega didn't really have many robots lining the corridors, as he's probably figured that no one would be able to hitch a ride on it. Blaze made her way around the maze-like labyrinth, trusting her gut feeling, as it was almost impossible to ignore now.

The Sol Emeralds. Blaze had only seen them once in her life. Before they'd been moved to the dungeon they had decorated the throne room. But Blaze had never been around all 7, as they were unpredictable and powerful gems. She often recalled overhearing stories of soldiers and guards telling about dangerous expeditions to go and find them, fighting the powerful Dr. Eggman Nega or self-serving pirates. Blaze had listened in awe and longing, dreaming as a young kitten that she would one day be on a mission like that. Of course, her dreams had been squelched by Lola and her parents, but Blaze had still kept them in the back of her mind. And now here she was, looking for the very gems. It was almost unreal seeing them now.

"STOP RIGHT THERE", a robot yelled, raising its weapon. _Crap_. She really had no experience fighting anyone besides Silver, and she was about 12 feet from the unguarded gems. Blaze was trying to decide whether to try and fight this robot or just make a run for the Emeralds when -

BOOOOM!

The ship was shaking again, and it sent the guardian robot smashing into the wall, giving Blaze the perfect timing to make a run for the Emeralds. _This will be the only time I am happy about Silver shaking the ship._ She lessened the distance between herself and the Sol Emeralds, but to her utter amazement, the Emeralds started glowing. She squinted against the bright light, but in a second it was gone along with the Emeralds themselves. Power rushed through Blaze's body, and the cat almost fell backwards from the shock. What had happened to her? Blaze had no idea...but somehow, she felt the Sol Emeralds were safe now, so Blaze made use of her new found power.

...xxx...

Flames! That was good enough for Silver. Soon the whole ship was doused in them, their fiery fingers licking the ship. A very peeved doctor made his escape in a small hovercraft, littering the air with curses and vows while abandoning his flaming ship. Now unmanned, the ship plummeted down straight for the castle. Silver wasted no time in freezing it in mid air, but strained against the weight of gravity pulling it down.

Where was Blaze? He knew the flames wouldn't hurt her, but still. Silver's eyes scanned below the the ship, waiting to see if she'd fallen out.

Suddenly a pinkish red figure caught Silver's eye. It zoomed out of the ship and was now heading straight for him. He'd hoped it was Blaze, but the colors were all wrong. Whatever it was, it was still heading towards him. Could it be another final attack by Nega? Silver was about to freeze it as well, but upon realizing what - who - it really was, he almost dropped the whole ship in shock.

_Blaze. _

But...what.._.how_? What happened to her fur? And how was she_ flying? _

Now that he knew that she was out of there (more or less), Silver flung the ship away from the castle into a nearby river, letting the water douse the flames and saving the inhabitants of the castle from being crushed and burnt. He turned back to the cat who had somehow floated up near him.

"Blaze, what...?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted and looked down at herself. "When I took the Sol Emeralds, something happened to me. I felt this rush of power...and I turned into this."

Silver blinked at her. Once again, he found himself in awe at her appearance, and once again, he was proven wrong. It _was_ possible for her to get prettier.

"Well, you have the Sol Emeralds now, right?"

Blaze nodded. "Let's go return them."

...xxx...

"Your majesty, the Sol Emeralds," Silver said, and Blaze walked up to present them to her father. During the transfer, her fur faded back to lavender from the pink hue it'd been before.

King Lance took the Emeralds back, his eyes still wide as he surveyed his daughter and the hedgehog right next to her that was now holding her hand. Somehow, these two had ended up saving the kingdom.

"Your majesty...what should we do with Silver now?" one of his advisers whispered.

The king hinted at a smile. "We will deal with him in a ceremony at 1:00. In the meantime... Gardon, I want you to make sure Silver is taken good care of. He'll be attending...in _honor_."

Silver and Blaze looked at each other in surprised delight.

...xxx...

**Do you all feel a little better now? :) I don't know about you, but I loved this chapter. Silver is so awesome and doesn't get enough reclaim. But I digress.**

**I give my thanks to Jacklethekitsune and rugtugba for their help on the action scenes. They wrote about 75% of them. (rugtugba doesn't have many stories up yet, but Jacklethekitsune is a really good writer (better than me, no joke), so you all should read his stuff. Seriously guys.)  
**


	7. Not Even Words

**Because you all deserve better, I went back and added more detail to the fight scenes and just Chapter 6 in general. (I give many thanks to Jacklethekitsune and rugtugba for their amazing help). Go ahead and reread it if you want. Otherwise...  
**

...xxx...

Chapter 7: Not Even Words

...xxx...

"Blaze...you have some explaining to do."

She looked down at her feet for a second before daring to meet her father's purple eyes. King Lance had wanted to get his daughter's side of the story before he made his final decisions concerning the ceremony. He had a tentative idea of what he wold do, but there were still too many things unclear in his mind. So he'd brought her here, to a meeting room, to hear her out.

"I know."

The king gently placed his hands on the princess's from across the table, to reassure her. "Now...tell me how it is you've come to know this Silver fellow."

Blaze let out a sigh. "It started on that day I...used my flames to save him."

King Lance nodded in memory. At the time, it'd been just Blaze being Blaze. "Did you two see each other after that?"

She bit her lip, but knew there would be no way to hide it now. Besides, maybe by telling her father the truth...he might understand. It'd be the only way to clear Silver's name in any case.

"That same night...I snuck out to the castle wall," she confessed, her voice but a gentle whisper. "But it was just to think and be alone. Somehow, he met me there. We talked for a little while, then agreed to meet again the next night."

"Just talked?" Lance confirmed.

"Yes, the first time. The second night...Silver offered to teach me how to fight."

Lance's eyes widened.

"I've never been allowed to use my flames, Father, but I've always felt this longing, this _need_ to use them. So when he offered...I took him up on it."

The king looked up at the ceiling for a minute, processing this information.

"Where did he take you to learn?" he continued to ask, turning his intense eyes back to her.

"A field outside the castle. He taught me so well...and for once, I actually felt like I was doing something right in my life. Like I was meant to do it." Her tone was characteristically unemotional, but Lance could sense a little passion in her words.

"And it's because of this that you two were able to defeat Eggman Nega."

Blaze nodded slightly.

"What about last night?" Lance continued.

"He didn't rape me," she quickly insisted. "We never did anything inappropriate, Father."

"That's what all the evidence points to. But I would still like to know what he was doing in your chambers."

Blaze veiled her golden eyes for a minute. "I...had told him of my betrothal. He...and I, we were both upset. And Silver suggested that we run away. Together. So we had gone to my room to gather some things."

Lance looked at her in shock, not believing that Blaze would ever even consider running away with someone. Had this been what she had been reduced to, forced to consider? As the King studied his daughter, he couldn't help but feel a little guilt, even knowing none of this was his fault. He knew Blaze had always been different, never seemed to be suited for life as a princess. And her flames...that blessing and curse that had always made her withdrawn...Why had _she_ been the one born with powers?

"My daughter..." Lance started and looked deep into her eyes. If she only hadn't happened to be born first...

An idea, a plan suddenly hit the king like a shock wave. Of course. It just made too much sense. It was if Sol himself had this planned out all along.

"Forgive me, Blaze," Lance said and pulled his daughter into a hug. "For not understanding you, or letting you be who you are. But I can make things right now."

He then explained what would happen in the coming ceremony, watching a rare flower of joy bloom on his daughter's face.

...xxx...

Silver couldn't remember the last time he was this nervous. Okay, maybe he could - that first time he'd sat on the wall with Blaze had been pretty nerve-wracking in its own right. But this - a ceremony held by the king? A whole nother animal. He'd like to think that the king would announce that he was going to marry Blaze, but he knew it was more likely that he'd just honor for him for being a hero.

The two of them, along with Blaze's sister Coral and Blaze's.._.fiance_...Mercury, were lingering outside in the courtyard, waiting for this ceremony to begin. Why those two had been invited as well, Silver had no idea. The next king was glaring at him coldly, even when Silver offered him a smile. Ah, so maybe he'd never drop the rape stigma. Silver bit his lip and stared at the ground.

"Silver."

He raised his head to look at Blaze, not failing to notice Mercury tensing up. She didn't say anything else, but gave him a soft smile to reassure him. It was all he needed.

Right then the ceremony commenced, and Silver had to focus all of his attention on breathing and walking, lest he mess this up somehow. He marched in step with the three cats, but almost fainted when he entered the throne room and saw just how beautiful it was. Golden walls, graceful arches, stunning oil paintings, and tons of glittering jewels and crystals stole his attention. It would be a mighty understatement to say Silver felt overwhelmed and out of place here. If this beauty wasn't enough for him, the throne room also just happened to be packed with all the leading noble-cats and royal officials as well as the castle guards.

As the hedgehog suddenly came to a halt in front of the red velvet-lined thrones, next to Blaze and in front of her relations, he became very conscious of the fact that he had quills and not just fur.

There was suddenly silence, and Silver was sure he was going to faint, when King Lance stood up and spoke, his deep voice matching his royal midnight blue fur and give him credence.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I have called you all together today for some important announcements. I would like to honor two heroes today for their valor and courage.

"Last night, the Sol Emeralds were once again stolen by the notorious Dr. Eggman Nega. However, Silver the Hedgehog and Blaze the Cat intervened in a timely matter to defeat him and recover our stolen family jewels. They are to be highly commended."

Polite applause echoed in the throne room, and Silver snuck a glance at Blaze. She smiled at him softly, and he had to take a deep breath to keep his heart pumping.

"However, this is not the first time trouble has befallen the Sol Emeralds, nor will it be the last. This recent tribulation has made me decide to appoint a new Guardian."

Whispers buzzed, but Lance raised his hands and they ceased. "Usually, the second prince is the automatic Guardian, but Sol has blessed me with three lovely daughters, and no male children. However, the first child he has given me, Princess Blaze, was bestowed with the power over fire. When Blaze retrieved the Sol Emeralds, she absorbed their power and transformed like no one except a true Guardian ever would."

Silence.

"For this reason, I believe Sol has given me a Guardian all along, in the unlikely form of my pyrokinetic daughter."

More whispers buzzed, this time more furiously, almost angrily. "Silence," Lance commanded, and his subjects obliged. "I have appointed a new Guardian of the Sol Emeralds. However, since dealing with the two duties of Queen and Guardian would be impossible for anyone, Princess Blaze has agreed in advance to give up her birthright."

The lavender cat stepped forward.

"I, Princess Blaze the Cat, give up my birthright and right to be the next queen, and accept the duty as Guardian of the Sol Emeralds."

"As it is spoken, so it is done," a priest said, confirming the action of the king and Blaze herself.

Blaze turned around and gave Silver a winning smile, but he was still too stunned and happy for her to respond at all.

"Now that Princess Blaze has given up her birthright, her betrothal to Mercury the Cat, our next king, has been moved to the next in the royal line, Princess Coral," Lance informed everyone.

There would have been complete shocked silence if Coral wouldn't have squealed in surprised delight and Mercury's jaw wouldn't have hit the floor.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, your next king and queen, Mercury and Coral."

"As it is spoken, so it is done."

The two now betrothed cats clasped hands and regarded the crowd, basking in the furious applause, both of them happy to be getting their dream jobs after all. Silver was so stunned that he barely heard Lance's next words, but when he did and their meaning hit him...

"However, Princess Blaze has already gone through the betrothal process, and betrothals cannot be broken. Usually Guardians are not allowed to marry, but in this case we will have to make an exception."

Lance turned to rest his eyes on Silver, smiling at how flabbergasted and overwhelmed the hedgehog was. The King was more sure than ever he was doing the right thing at that moment.

"Silver the Hedgehog, you are hereby acquitted of all charges placed against you last night, and are promoted to the rank of Junior Captain in the Royal Castle Guard, for your valor against Dr. Eggman Nega."

Polite applause started, but King Lance wasn't finished. "And you are now hereby betrothed to my daughter, Princess Blaze the Cat."

Silver didn't even hear the priest's obligatory words, the angry outrage of the crowd, or the silencing by the king. No, all the hedgehog was aware of at the time was the smile of the gorgeous lavender cat next to him and her delicate hand squeezing his.

...xxx...

"I still can't believe it."

"Still?"

Silver turned his eyes from the cascading fountain he'd been staring at to the beautiful princess next to him. His fiancee. No...it just didn't seem possible that he was actually going to _marry _her. It didn't matter that this was what he'd been dreaming about and hoping for for Sol knows how long...now that it was actually going to _happen..__.  
_

"_Still,_" Silver insisted.

Blaze gave him a gentle smile. "When do you think it will sink in?"

Silver let out a happy sigh. "Ah, I don't know. Maybe it won't ever sink in and I'll just float around on this amazing feeling forever. Sure wouldn't hurt me any."

The hedgehog squeezed Blaze's hand and turned back to the fountain, but it's beauty couldn't match his fiancee's so he turned back to her. The red ruby on her delicate forehead no longer mocked him, but instead served as a reminder that she was bound to _him _now.

_"_They're still going to hate us," Blaze reminded him. It was true; a princess marrying a castle guard was not to most people's liking.

"Bah, who cares about _them_," Silver dismissed. "We're together now. Nothing else matters."

He was right. Blaze looked deeply into his wonderful golden eyes, entranced by him...everything about him just made her feel so wonderful. So..._happy_ for the first time in her life. Blaze realized with a start that she'd never told him, had kept all of these feelings locked up in her heart. Maybe she should.

"Silver," Blaze said his name again, with the same intentions she'd had all the previous times. This time, though, she would not lose her will in her shyness. After all, they were soon to be married. The thought sent an pleasant shock through her body.

Silver gave his usual response. "What is it?"

"Have I ever told you..." Blaze started and brought her hand up to stroke his long quills. "...how I feel about you?"

Suddenly it was very hard for Silver to breathe, and yet he wasted precious air by stuttering, "N-no..." Silver was very conscious of her touch, her beautiful eyes gleaming, her soft muzzle oh so close...

"It's because..." Blaze paused and brought her fingers up to his ears, caressing them as well. "It's because I don't have the words...to say how I feel about you..." she whispered and Silver felt her breath on his mouth.

And then there was no more air between their lips. Silver raised his arms to link them around Blaze, pulling her figure against his body and her lips deeper into his. The cat started purring involuntarily, the vibrations an outpouring of the love in her soul. The purrs along with the kisses certainly made up for her lack of words in Silver's eyes.

"That's okay..." Silver assured when he pulled away slightly, so their lips still brushed when he whispered. "...because I don't have words either...just _this_."

He leaned forward and kissed Blaze, showing her his own love for her. The two lovers held each other, their lips caressing gently and sweetly, and it all felt so right. Like it was all meant to be.

Silver felt a little lightheaded, and he realized it was his need for air catching up, and not just from being around Blaze. He pulled away just slightly, taking deep breaths to make up for the missed ones. But he used the opportunity to tenderly rub his muzzle against hers.

"Blaze...I think I may have come up with some words..." he whispered.

She stroked his back quills, willing him to go on.

"I love you, Blaze."

It was so simple yet...those words would be enough for her. And no matter how many times Silver would remind her of that for the rest of her life, they'd never get old.

"I love you, too, Silver," Blaze assured him and rested her head on his shoulder while nuzzling his muscular chest, his soft fur encasing her lips in bliss.

And then the two just held each other, enjoying their presence, totally oblivious to the royal passerby who were giving disapproving glances. No, these two outcasts just had each other, but they needed nothing else.

Not even words.

...xxx...

**I told you all I can't write sad endings. Everybody wins! ^_^  
**

**And I don't care if that was too mushy, I believe I owed you all something after all that stuff I put you through earlier. :) This story really had a mind of it's own and it pretty much wrote itself (ever have that feeling?) ****So yeah, reread the new and improved fight scenes if you want to. **

**So this is the end...for now. If you guys bug me enough, I may either write more or do a sequel, as in how their marriage works out and everything. But not now guys, I have a lot of stuff on my plate at the moment.  
**

**For those of you that care, my next project will be a request that Samantha27 asked me to write for her WAY too long ago. I will be writing that along with Give it a Chance...(A Whole New World may never get finished...)**

**And while we're on requests, my friend Jacklethekitsune is writing a story for me, so if you all would be kind enough to go read and review it, that'd be freaking amazing. (Yes, go do it. Now. Not kidding. GO.)  
**

**And to all who have reviewed, faved, subscribed, or just read...thanks for all your support. **


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